Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Alberta, Montana and Colorado

Habitat: Dry to moist areas, open sagebrush flats to timbered slopes, moderate to mid-elevations in the mountains.

Flowers: June-August

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Strongly rhizomatous perennial, the culms 5-11 dm. tall, smooth.

Sheaths open, smooth; ligules 1-5 mm. long, obtuse, usually lacerate; blades flat, 2-4 mm. broad, scabrous on the lower side.

Inflorescence a tight panicle 4-15 cm. long, pale greenish-white or purplish; spikelets 1-flowered; glumes 4-5 mm. long, acuminate, smooth; lemma thin, papery, shorter than the glumes, the 4 lateral veins extending into short, blunt teeth, with a twisted, bent awn attached 1 mm. above the base slightly exceeding the glumes; callus with a few hairs; palea subequal to the lemma, the rachilla prolonged behind the palea about1.2 mm. long.